Sweat-house for curing tobacco



1 i w i J a S U m 1 4 u Z X w R 6 E T 1 INYENTOR:

I ATTORNEYS.

' (No Model.)

0. S. PHILIPS. Sweat Housefor Curing Tobacco. No. 228,928.

Patented June 15. 1880.

pram mam m a j w q fi A T 4 14 f M v u WWMMQ M 3 7 S K; SLIIJ. I i /fl 4 j WITNESSES:

N.FETERS FHOTO-LITHOGRAPH'ER, WASHKNGTON, D C.

NITED STATES CHARLES S. PHILIPS, OF

SWEAT-HOUSE FOR SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CURING TOBACCO.

Patent No. 228,928, dated June 15, 1880.

Application filed March 12, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. PHILIPS, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sweat-Houses for Curing To-. bacco, of which the following is a specification.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the' improvement, taken through the line w 00, Fig. 3. Fig.2 is a sectional plan view taken through the line 3 y, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken through the linezz, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the base-tray of the sweathouse.

The object of the invention is to furnish sweat-houses for curing and coloring tobacco, so constructed that the tobacco, while packed in cases, can be subjected to the vapor of water at any desired temperature, and thus moistened without being made wet.

The invention consists in constructing a tobacco sweat-house of a metal-lined tray, an interior wooden bottom, and steam-pipes, and a double-walled sweat house or chamber having a slotted or slat floor, an inclined roof, and upright cleats attached to the inner surface of its side walls, all constructed and operating as will be hereinafter fully described.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is a shallow box, pan, or tray, to the inner surface of the bottom and sides of which is attached a lining, B, of lead or other suitable material. The tray A is made with an olfset or extension, 0, for convenience in introducin g the steam-pipes D and to give access to the waste-pipe E, which passes out through the bottom of the extension O. The steam-pipeD is coiled back and forth within the tray A, as shown in Fig. 4. Upon the bottom of the tray A is placed a wooden floor, F, to guard against the lining B being injured by the sides of the house resting upon it or by any other thing coming in contact with it. To the upper side of the floor F are attached cleats G, for the steam-pipes D to rest upon, so that the water in the tray A may circulate between the said pipes D and the said floor F.

H is the sweat house or chamber, which is made with double walls, formingair-spaces, to prevent the heated air and vapor within the house H from escaping, and thus assist in keeping the temperature uniform. Thelower edges of the sides of the sweat-house I-I rest upon the floor F, so as to be immersed in the water in the tank A, to prevent air from passing in or out around the said edges.

The sweat-house H is also made with a double-walled roof, I, having air-space to me vent the heated air and vapor from escaping upward. The roof I is inclined, as shown in Fig. 1, so that any moisture that condenses upon it may run down it and down the sides of the sweat-house H to the tray A, and thus be prevented from dripping upon the tobaccocases and wetting them.

In the lower part of the sweat-house H, at a little distance above the tray A, is secured a slotted or slat floor, J, which rests upon tim bers K, attached to the sides of the said sweathouse. The cases or boxes containing the tobacco are packed one upon another in tiers 9.

upon the floor J, and are kept from contact with the sides of the sweat-house H by upright cleats L, attached to the said sides, so that the vapor or moist air can circulate freely around the tobacco-cases.

In the front of the sweat-house is formed a doorway, through which the cases of tobacco are inserted and removed, and which is closed by a door, M. The cases are free to the ingress of the vapor rising from the lower part of the chamber, so that the tobacco in the cases will be dampened without being made wet, the color being thereby improved, while the curing is accelerated.

To the door M is attached a thermometer, N, from the bulb of which a hole is formed through the said door, so that the said bulb may be in direct contact with the air and \a por within the sweat-house, and may thus show accurately the temperature of the said air and vapor.

The steanrpipe D should be provided with stop-cocks, so that the amount of steam introduced, and consequently the temperature of the sweat-house, can be readily controlled.

The sweat-house should also be provided with pipes (not shown in the drawings) for introducing water into the pan or tray, which pipes should be provided with appliances for controlling the admission of the water, so that the water may be kept at any desired depth in the tray A, and so that the amount of vapor in the sweat-house may be controlled by regulating the amount of surface of the pipes D left uncovered by the water.

With this construction the tobacco will be evenly moistened Without being wet, and will thus be evenly sweated, cured, and colored.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A tobacco sweat-house constructed substantially as herein shown and described, consisting of the metal-lined tray A, the interior wooden bottom, F, the steam-pipes D, and the sweat house or chamber H, having slotted or CHARLES S. PHILIPS.

Witnesses:

JAMES T. GRAHAM, O. SEDGWIGK. 

